Vietnam is rapidly becoming one of the most popular countries in
the world for adventurous bike touring. It’s easy to see why.
This long, slender land with such an unhappy history has an
amazing array of landscapes, with thousands of km of roads
linking mountains and beaches, jungle with intensive paddy field
landscapes. Vietnam represents a viscerally intense cycling and
cultural experience, love it or hate it, you will not forget
your trip.

What to take?Roads in Vietnam can be rough in sections, and more minor roads
are often dirt tracks. However, for most of the main routes, the
surface is good enough for almost any type of bike, except
perhaps for the lightest of road bikes. Even the paved roads can
be a bit muddy, don’t forget your mudguards. Bike repair shops
are around in nearly every town, but they often do not have the
tools for western bikes. Local bikes are usually poor quality
and are not recommended for touring. Bring a basic toolkit or
multi-tool and some spare spokes, along with a cracker/chain
whip for repairing drive-side spokes. Regular touring or road tyres are sufficient for most of the country.

The climate changes significantly from north to south. There can
be snow in winter in
Sapa, at the same time as it is 40°C in Ho
Chi Minh City. The coast can be very windy. Rain can be heavy
and persistent over most of the country at many times of the
year. Only in later
winter on the northern highlands would
serious wet/cold weather gear normally be required. Elsewhere, a
light fleece and wind/waterproof top should be sufficient in
addition to your normal kit. There is no major cultural problem
with wearing shorts/lycra, but longer trousers/skirts may be
more appropriate in more remote areas or visiting temples.
T-shirts and casual clothes are widely available, and if you
can’t find anything to fit you, there are numerous tailors who
will make you anything from shorts to a silk sleeping bag liner
to a tuxedo, all in a few hours. Cosmetics and medicines are
very widely available, but watch out for counterfeits.

Camping is very difficult in most of Vietnam; there are few
suitable places to pitch a tent. Nearly
every town will have
guesthouses, so tents and sleeping bags are an unnecessary
encumbrance. Expect to pay between US$6 to US$20 a night in a
typical guesthouse or local hotel. The quality is very variable,
and can rarely be judged by outside appearances so always check
out a room on offer before accepting it. Food and beer is very
cheap and usually of a high quality. The best Vietnamese cooking
is superb, always ask locals for recommendations, Vietnamese
people are enthusiastic foodies. Vegetarian food is usually
available, but sometimes communicating what you want is
difficult. Roadside stalls selling typical Vietnamese food and
drink are nearly everywhere so it is not necessary to bring
cooking equipment or food (apart from snacks). Chlorine or
iodine tabs are necessary for drinking tap water in most of the
country.

Safety
The roads near the major cities are often chaotic, polluted and
accidents are frequent. The quality of driving often leaves a
lot to be desired. However, many Vietnamese cycles and as a
result, drivers are usually quite ‘bike aware’ and leave a
reasonable gap between themselves and cyclists. The hard
shoulder on major roads is usually considered cyclist’s
territory. One of the joys of cycling in the Vietnamese lowlands
is riding in the early dawn with crowds of cycling
schoolchildren. The usual Asian driving rule that the right of
way goes to the biggest vehicle applies. Watch closely local
cyclists and copy what they do and you should be quite safe.
Remember that most vehicles will toot their horn once to let you
know they are coming behind you. A second toot means you are
directly in its path. A third toot means hit the paddy field
immediately if you want to live!

In general,
Vietnam is a safe country to travel in. There is
some petty crime but violence against tourists is rare. Both
male and female cyclists rarely experience aggression, hassle or
danger, but the normal common-sense precautions should be taken,
especially after dark in urban areas. Although guesthouse owners
will normally report to the local police travellers outside the
normal tourist areas, hassle from police/army is unknown, but as
a precaution do not be seen taking photographs of anything that
looks militarily significant.

The people
The Vietnamese people are very distinct in their culture and in
their approach to westerners from other SE Asians. This is
unsurprising given the countries history, where in the second
half of the 20th Century they had to defeat successive invasions
from the Japanese, French, Americans and Chinese at a cost of
millions of lives. Tourists often complain of rudeness from
locals and frequent rip-offs, but this is mainly a feature of
the tourist hotspots. Most bike tourers, who have been to
Vietnam, experience generosity and friendship, especially in
more remote areas. While the Vietnamese are not as immediately
warm and welcoming as, for example, the Thai or Laos, do not
confuse a relatively cool reaction with hostility. When you show
politeness and respect for their culture, expect this to be
reciprocated, but demonstrate rudeness (as many tourists do),
then do not expect the Vietnamese to turn the other cheek. Be
friendly and open with local people and you will get on fine. If
you do face rudeness or attempted rip-offs, be firm and do not
lose your cool. You will usually not have to work too hard to
find someone with a little English, even in remote areas. Many
Vietnamese also have a little French, Russian or Mandarin
Chinese. As with most countries, learning a few phrases of the
local language goes down well with the locals.

Northern Vietnam
The
landscape of the north of Vietnam is characterised by jungle
clad weathered karst limestone mountains. Hanoi is located on
one of the few plains, it’s a sprawling city full of character,
and it’s surprisingly easy to explore by bike once you bite the
bullet and join the masses of scooters and bikes. The most
popular route for cyclists is to explore the highlands west and
north of Hanoi along Highway 6, eventually ending in Sapa, where
you can return to Hanoi by train, or turn north into China at
the nearby border crossing point. In total it is about 700km,
but it can easily be cut short by returning by bus or plane
(there are airports near
Son La and
Dien Bien Phu). There is a
string of towns along the route, but there are some large
distances between settlements, so be prepared for some long,
tough days in the saddle. Good places to stop include the
beautiful
Lac village near Mai Chau and the pleasant little town
of Son La. This route is physically demanding, and should only
be tackled by fit and/or experienced cyclists. However, it is
highly recommended it as it passes through
stunning landscapes
in areas rarely seen by tourists.

Highway 1
The classic Vietnam ride. Few cyclists go the whole route from
Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, most bypassing the relatively dull
northern section. But from Hue south the riding is excellent and
it gives an amazing kaleidoscope of the best and worst of
Vietnam and its people. The road conditions are generally
reasonably good, with a few moderately challenging hills.
Traffic can be uncomfortably heavy in the vicinity of larger
towns and cities such as
Danang, but is generally acceptable.
There are plenty of guesthouses at reasonable intervals. Good
bases for rest, relaxation and exploration include the ancient
capital of Hue, the
lovely historic town of Hoi An, and the
large beach resort of Nha Trang. Most cyclists skip the last
200-km or so to Ho Chi Minh City due to the heavy traffic, but
it is cyclable.

Motorbiking in the North
West

It is probably not everyone’s cup of tea, but
discovering
Vietnam’s rugged and scenic northwest on a motorbike is more
than an exhilarating experience. Those who have undertaken it
say it enables them to see “life as it truly is for the
Vietnamese people.”
Dramatic landscapes and sweeping panoramas become more direct
and intense when the visitor is not enclosed within a vehicle.
Watching the rural population doing about its business also
becomes a more intimate affair.

“We started the itinerary to four mountainous provinces –
Hoa
Binh, Son La, Dien Bien,
Lao Cai – in the northwest region with
a 130 km ride to
Mai Chau,” said Andre Prince, who took the
7-day journey with six friends from Canada.

Together with a tour guide, they left Hanoi at 8:30 a.m. and
rode the dirt-bikes (175cc and 250cc Yamaha and Honda) west to
Mai Chau, home to the Thai ethnic minority.

They traveled on road No. 6 passing expansive rice paddies and
scenic villages and stopped for refreshment before tackling 70km
of undulating roads with great views of mountains and valleys
before reaching Mai Chau at noon.

“We were really impressed by the traditional stilt-houses, the
dances and meals at Pom Coong, a village of the White Thai
ethnic minority,” said Andre.

The group left for Son La Province the next morning.

Kien, the tour guide, said the motorbike trip of about 1,000 km
is wonderful for those who have good health and like more
adventure in their travels. The tour is also great for finding
several vantage spots for photography, he added.

Besides the tea plantations in
Moc Chau Plateau – the
destination of the best green tea in Vietnam that grows along
the roads on the hillsides in Son La, the
valley of Dien Bien
Phu also offers magnificent views.

Here “the ride is more adventurous with more winding roads and
longer passes, while offering more
colorful minority groups and
more stunning scenery,” said Andre, adding that the highlight of Dien Bien Province could be the impressive
Pha Din
pass, which means Heaven-Earth. According to local legend, it
was the frontier between Heaven and Earth. Pha Din is some
1,000m above sea-level.

“Climbing and descending the slopes with their many bends and
deep gorges is a really unforgettable experience,” Andre said.

The fourth day was scheduled for Lao Cai, where stops at H’mong
and Dao villages refreshed the crew after a 225 km ride along
stunning gorges and the Nam Na River.

Fittingly, Sa Pa was the pinnacle of the trip, where the group
stayed for two days and visited several ethnic minority villages
deep in the forest.

The group also got off their bikes to take a jeep ride downhill
to the Muong Hoa Valley, where they trekked on dirt paths
through pine forest, terraced fields and H’mong villages. En
route they stopped to visit minority schools and had a picnic
lunch by the river.